Nov 2 (SO) Value Added Tax (VAT) which received a lot of criticism from the Joint Opposition and certain sections of society came into effect, as Parliament passed the legislation with a comfortable majority on Wednesday (26) after a lengthy debate involving arguments and counter arguments between Govt & Opposition lawmakers. VAT will be effective from Nov 1 and accordingly, prevailing 11% VAT increased to 15%. more..

Nov 2 DM) On 25th October, at an event held at Temple Trees, the State honoured several cast and crew members of the first two landmark artistic productions, both of which complete 60 years this year. Without reservations, Viragaya of Martin Wickremasinghe has been rated as the best Sinhalese fiction by critics. Sixtieth anniversary of two national epic productions were celebrated with deserving pomp and pageantry under the patronage of the Prime Minister. more..

Nov 2 (CT) President Maithripala Sirisena is increasingly making himself hated by the elites and the liberals and rich kids pretending to be social justice warriors. I wrote a column last week on his critique on the independent commissions and I wondered when he will get down to pissing off his former fans, boys and girls, especially those with a decidedly UNP bias, on national security. And he did, a lot sooner than I expected, when he said on Thursday that 'certain media organizations, more..

Nov 2 (DM) When senior financial journalist Mel Gunasekera�s murder trial was called for hearing on Oct 17 it was her mother�s birthday. Instead of celebrating her birthday with her beloved daughter, she had to re-live the moment of her daughter�s gruesome death at the Colombo High Court, where the clothes, Mel was wearing at the time of her death and the weapon used to murder her, were produced. Instead of enjoying the company of her only daughter, she had to face her alleged more..

Nov 2 (Island) The UNP members of the COPE are now doing their damnedest to have the public believe that they really want criminal charges brought against those responsible for the Treasury bond frauds. Having made a vain attempt to cover up the bond scam and then gone all out to dilute the COPE report thereon they are now accusing COPE Chairman Sunil Handunnetti of having handled the bond thieves with kid gloves! They seem to have taken the discerning public for suckers. more..

Nov 2 (CI) Dimuth Karunaratne struck his second fifty-plus score of the match and his first Test century in a year to bump up Sri Lanka's lead to 411 before rain wiped out almost all of the third session. His 94-run stand for the fifth wicket with Dhananjaya de Silva, which came at 4.47 runs an over, on a surface with variable bounce, countered debutant fast bowler Carl Mumba's strikes and helped SL re-establish their dominance. more..

Nov 2 (CI) The BCB intends to extend Thilan Samaraweera's spell as Bangladesh batting consultant until next year's Champions Trophy. Cricket operations committee chairman Akram Khan said that Samaraweera is prepared to stay on in his role. "We are keeping him," Akram said. "Everyone is positive about him. The coach wants him to stay back, and so does everyone else. He also doesn't have any reservations about it." Samaraweera joined B'desh ahead of Afghanistan series more..

Nov 2 (ST) I wonder how many of us remember the Nomads Grounds which is now covered by the sprawling Nelum Pokuna theatre complex. Yes, at one juncture, some bright politician came across this sudden brainwave and thus, the theatre complex became a reality. But the loser in the process was the game of cricket. With the arrival of the theatre complex, Nomads was relocated at Reid Avenue for awhile and then gradually, faded into oblivion. In the 1960s, the then Municipal Commissioner, more..

Nov 2 (Hindu) As fisher leaders from India and SL prepare to meet in New Delhi on Tuesday, expectations run high on both sides of the Palk Bay, amid enhanced ties between the neighbours. Fishermen from TN and northern SL will meet after a gap of nearly one and a half years, with all previous rounds of negotiations among fisher leaders proving futile. Ten fisher cooperative leaders from SL left for New Delhi on Monday, to be joined by 12 of more..

Nov 2 (FT) Ambassador of Japan to SL Kenichi Suganuma paid an official visit to Matara, Hambantota and Monaragala Districts for the first time since assuming duties in Sri Lanka in June 2015. On 24 Oct, he paid a courtesy call on Municipal Commissioner of Matara Municipal Council and exchanged views on economic and social development in Matara, including maintenance of public service, such as garbage collection. Later, he visited Uni of Ruhuna more..

Nov 2 (Hindu) A Sri Lankan national, Wrad Stewan Ratnayaka (78), has been reported missing in Andhra Pradesh, during a pilgrimage to Bhopal. Based on the complaint lodged by Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission, the Govt Railway Police (GRP) registered a case and have launched a search for Mr. Stewan. According to Wrad Nishanta Ratyanaka, son of Mr. Stewan Ratnayaka of Udugampola, about 125 devotees went on a 15-day pilgrimage to different places in India. more..

Nov 2 (CT) A Special Press Briefing was held yesterday to present facts to the media regarding the issue of a Gazette Notification amending the Series of Sports regulations. New series of Sports regulations dated 27.10.2016 bearing number 1993/23 amending the clauses that gave rise to debate in the SL Sports Act was officially presented to the media. This new series of Sports Orders consists of 6 parts & 3 sub-documents. more..

Nov 2 (Island) What has been impossible during the past three decades or so in Sri Lanka has suddenly and unexpectedly become possible, namely, a parliamentary committee has been able to implicate a govt nominee, a nominee of the PM himself to be precise, as seriously culpable of not only immorality but of serious irregularity in the sale of bonds. Yes, the COPE Report and its presentation in parliament, as a whole, is surely a victory for democracy and good governance promised by present govt. more..

Nov 2 (DN) Mega Maldives airlines will launch direct flights to Colombo from tomorrow. They will operate a Boeing 767, 300 seater flight on Thursday. Saturday and Monday. Founded in 2009, Mega Maldives Airlines, a US-Maldives joint venture has now become the fourth largest international airline to the Maldives flying to Shanghai, Beijing and three other destinations, Jeddah, Narita and Kuala Lumpur.� �Almost 10% of all of tourists now arrive to the Maldives on Mega. more..

Nov 2 (DN) Sri Lanka announced plans to attract tourists back to the country with the launch of themed tourism development zones, a public-private sector initiative backed by Lands Ministry, Tourism Ministry and the Sri Lanka Tourism Club, a govt-recognised group of industry leaders. At least five and up to eight Themed International Tourism and Family Entertainment Zones are being designated in state-owned land, more..

Nov 2 (CT) Sri Lanka's listed diversified conglomerate, Softlogic Holdings PLC, may delist its leading fashion and lifestyle subsidiary ODEL PLC from the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), depending on the market regulator Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) directions, Softlogic Holdings Chairman Ashok Pathirage said. ODEL's minimum public float has come down dramatically to 2.91% as at 30 Sept 2016 from 3.33% as at 30 June 2016 and 6.46% as at 30 June 2015. more..

Nov 2 (DM) A group of white-collar high-ups attached to an office concerned with pharmaceuticals appeared before the COPE following summons served on them.�Asked to freely air their grievances, the ladies among the high-ups had broken down in tears. Then the COPE members had urged the ladies in tears to come clean with their grievances. Thus encouraged, the ladies had come out with plethora of allegations against their chief. They also told the committee members more..

Nov 2 (DM) Court of Appeal issued Notices on Mass Media Ministry secretary, Mass Media Minister Gayantha Karunatillake, TRC and its director general, pursuant to a Writ petition filed by Carlton Sports Network challenging the impugned decision to revoke its TV Broadcasting Licence. The Bench, issued order to maintain status quo as of yesterday, in respect of the licences for four frequencies allocated to CSN by TRC. more..

Nov 2 (DM) Colombo Additional Magistrate Aruni Attigalle directed Prisons Chief to produce Duminda Silva in the Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court on January 5 for the hearing of three bribery cases filed against him on charges of not declaring his assets and liabilities for three years. The Bribery Commission had filed three separate cases against Mr. Silva under the Assets and Liabilities Act for not declaring his assets in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Colombo High Court sentenced him to death more..

Nov 2 (DM) Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake is reported to have notified the Cabinet that there was an adverse impact on the budget deficit because of the repeated requests for additional provisions. In a paper submitted to the Cabinet, he states that the revenue collection of the govt has been lower than expected this year with the total govt revenue estimated for the year being Rs.2,047 billion while the total expenditure has been Rs.2,787 billion. According to the report submitted to Cabinet, more..

Nov 2 (ENS) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL), which became an independent commission last year following 19th Amendment, says that torture continues to be routine in the police stations of SL but has seen a drop in the number of reported cases after the regime change in Jan 2015. In its latest report, HRCSL says that in 2010, immediately after Eelam War IV, a total of 566 cases of torture were reported. more..

Nov 2 (CT) Ministry of Development Strategies and Int'l Trade (MODSIT) has received an unsolicited proposal for a waste to compost and energy and cold storage facility project in Kandy. First time in the ministry history, they plan to follow Swiss Challenge Procedure in entertaining unsolicited proposals for this project implementation. Swiss Challenge Procedure is a system adopted by some countries when selecting private sector investors for a particular purpose. more..

Nov 2 (FT) US Embassy is committed to working with the people and Govt of Sri Lanka to achieve lasting peace and inter-communal harmony based on meaningful reconciliation. Deputy Chief of Mission Robert B. Hilton speaking at an event in Jaffna to mark the 200th Anniversary of the American Ceylon Mission said this is a new and hopeful time for relations between US and Sri Lanka. The envoy said reconciliation is a difficult task but as Secretary of State John Kerry more..

Nov 2 (FT) China denied allegations by SL�s coalition Govt members that its loans were expensive but reiterated commitment to further bilateral ties as well likelihood of more investments on improved climate. Accounting for over 20% of the country�s outstanding debt, China�s lending for some key infrastructure projects of previous President Rajapaksa�s regime came under flack by then Opposition members and more..

Nov 2 (DN) Additional Solicitor General Sarath Jayamanne is tipped to be the new Director General of CIABOC. Jayamanne is a President�s Counsel and sixth in seniority at AG�s Department. He has very high credentials as a criminal lawyer and has proved to be a thorough bred prosecutor. Jayamanne appeared for the CID in the Ekneligoda abduction case, one of the most controversial cases which came before law courts in the country. Director General post at the CIABOC more..

Nov 2 (ITN) It is reported that the COPE Report and the Auditor General�s Department have been directed to the AG�s Department today. PM Ranil Wickremasinghe recently told Parliament that the COPE report will be directed to the Attorney General�s Department for future initiatives. A Senior Officer of the PM�s Office when contacted said that the COPE Report was handed over to the Attorney General�s Department today. COPE was set up on 21st June 1979. more..

Nov 2 (FT) European Union emphasised that Sri Lankan Govt needed to make more demonstrable change while having made steady progress in efforts to meet the requirements for the GSP plus application. A four-member European Union (EU) parliamentary delegation said yesterday that more needed to be done to meet the criteria set out by the EU covering 27 international conventions for the country more..

Nov 2 (FT) United States is sharing its experience with Sri Lanka in implementing the recently passed Right to Information Act which gives access to all citizens of Sri Lanka to obtain information on Govt and State institutions. Melanie Ann Pustay, Director of the Office of Information Policy of United States Department of Justice, yesterday conducted a special lecture at Department of Govt Information in Colombo on the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) in Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 2 (DM) Foreign Affairs Ministry has sought to appoint Inspectors' General (IGs) to monitor the work of Sri Lanka�s missions abroad and report on the progress. Minister Mangala Samaraweera, in his Cabinet paper on this matter, says a committee to study and report on the rationalization of Sri Lanka�s diplomatic and consular representations abroad has been appointed. According to recommendations of this committee, a decision has been taken to appoint Inspectors' General. more..

Nov 2 (FT) Monetary Board will meet on Friday for a special session to consider the three reports released on the bond scandal including the COPE report before deciding on future action, CB Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy said as the repercussions from the COPE report continued to unfold.�Monetary Board, which would be meeting for the second time this week, will analyse the onsite examination report conducted by the CB more..

Nov 2 (DM) Sri Lanka�s so-called human-elephant conflict has become a major human and environmental crisis, with hundreds of elephants and human beings being killed or injured and otherwise affected. Essentially it is a case of unplanned development where human beings are taking over the traditional jungle habitats of these majestic creatures hallowed in our history and still brought in to parade gracefully at Peraheras. When the elephants� jungle homelands are robbed, more..

Nov 2 (DM) In the sobering aftermath of the telecommunications boom of the end of 1990s, perhaps the positive lesson being drawn by the industry and governments is that they both have a responsibility to ensure that the benefits of Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) are both economic and social.�In December 2003, the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) was convened by the UN in Geneva and WSIS Declaration of Principles was adopted more..

Nov 2 (SL) Last Thursday, two young students of the University of Jaffna � 23 year old Kajan and 24 year old Sulakshan were shot by the police at a roadblock in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna. There are various narratives being shared on the sequence of events that led to the shooting: everything from the youth being drunk and refusing to stop the bike at the checkpoint to them being members of the armed gang Awaa which more..

Nov 2 (DM) Chinese Ambassador Yi Xianliang , who responded yesterday to criticism that the Chinese loans were expensive, said yesterday that he had asked Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake why he talked about yet another loan from China if the loans were expensive. At a media briefing of a select group of journalists, the Ambassador said his govt had stipulated fixed lending rates for developing countries. more..

Nov 2 (Island) A group of professionals urged PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down temporarily so that an independent inquiry could be held into the alleged CB bond scams during Feb 27, 2015-March 29, 2016 period. Retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera and senior lecturer Raja Gunaratne said as the CB had been under PM�s purview at the time alleged irregularities took place, more..

Nov 2 (ST) Power and Renewable Energy Ministry has expressed dissatisfaction with the CEB over the latter�s slow progress in taking immediate measures to avert an anticipated power crisis in 2018. The sentiments were conveyed in a strongly worded letter sent by the Ministry secretary, Dr. B.M.S. Batagoda to CEB Chairman Anura Wijepala and General Manager Yamuna Samarasinghe this week. more..

Nov 2 (GDI) Sri Lanka Army�s Mine-Detection Team, the dog Alvin and its handler, Lance Corporal G.N.W.M Nawarathne of 7 Field Engineer Regiment, Sri Lanka Engineers (SLE) during the Clearing the Path Gala ceremony, organized in Washington, DC by the reputed Marshal Legacy Institute (MLI), committed to a world-free of land mines received their accolades on Wednesday before a distinguished more..

Nov 2 (DM) Responding to the statement made by former president Chandrika Kumaratunga claiming that he former President Rajapaksa was paid by J.R. Jayawardena to divide the SLFP, Rajapaksa said that he will not to respond to statements by individuals who were sick. Rajapaksa said he heard of his predecessor�s statement that she had the receipts of such as a transaction, through the media. more..

Nov 2 (Island) SL Nidahas Sewaka Sangamaya (SLNSS) accused the govt of planning to hand over the development partnership agreement of the national carrier SriLankan to a company owned by a Cabinet minister of UNP, currently running a domestic airline. President of the SLNSS branch of SriLankan Airlines, Janaka Wijayapathirathna, said govt had called for Expressions of Interest to develop SriLankan, more..